[prion]

Do they mean "can the President do stuff legally that would be a crime if somebody else did it?" The answer is, "ummm...duh."

[Ron in Acreage]

Bush has the power to declassify, Mrs. McCarthy does not. Idiot liberals are hoping to blur the difference.

[marajade]

I think the Washington Post is just trying to cover their butts.

Contrary to what Harmon said, there is a diff between a CIA operative and the President.

Its legal for the Pres to declassify info and its illegal for a CIA operative to do it.

[TWohlford]

Again, the Dems are looking for any political storm that might work in their favor. This joins a long line of Dem-induced storms since Dubya took office. It, too, will be gone in another week.

[putupjob]

The President of the United States can declassify in effect, anything. McCarthy as a CIA employee has the authority to declassify nothing.

All liberal dopes are going to equate a CIA employee with security agreements in place with the authority of the President of the United States.

[maine-iac7]

It just occurred to me that this woman should be in custody - she has access to a lot of classified info that she could now be disclosing to our enemies, both in and outside the country....She should be have no access to communication. This is vital to security

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

If Republicans leak insubstantial information with practically no national security value, it's a national calamity. but if Democrats leak substantial information with significant national security value, it's no problem whatsoever.

[Soul Seeker]

Pinky Suggests Democrats are Screwed when he tries to make stick that a NON leak is equitable to a national security Leak.

The President can't by definition leak. The second Mary to make news in two years can and DID leak.

Back to the drawing board Pincus. You need to do better to save your treacherous collegue's hide.

[Reaganesque]

Pot: You're black!!

Kettle: ??!!

[bad company]

"I don't know this woman......

Wonder how many times we'll see this clarification?

[muawiyah]

Jane Harman lied through her teeth.

Just a few weeks ago the Democratic party line was as follows:

"The president or the United States is an elected representative of the People of the United States.

He is, in essence, an employee of the public, hired on to do a job. As such, the rules still pertain to him and if he breaks the rules he gets canned.

Big rules or little rules -- High crimes and misdemeanors. There is significance evidence that this POTUS has been playing fast and loose with those rules from day one and it is the responsibility of the other elected branch of government to invesigate those allegations, really investigate.

And if is found that he broke the rules and used his good office for his his own personal aggrandizement over the welfare of the nation as a whole, he is out.............."

Leastwise, that was the story all over the leftwingnut blogs. I used the version that was the "mildest", but they all followed that standard.

Now, with Mary McCarthy we are hearing that "leaking" is your patriotic duty.

One of her little buddies, David Corn, has one of those mysterious references to Mary McCarthy, the novelist of the early to mid 20th Century ~ he sure knew who Mary was (one of his sources no doubt), and he also freely cites Jane Harman as being on his side.

For references to David's friends see: http://www.davidcorn.com/archives/2005/12/elections_and_c.php

[dirtbiker]

But they questioned whether a double standard exists that lets the White House give reporters secretly declassified information for political purposes.

"Secretly Declassified"? Is that like "Government Efficiency", or "Congressional Intelligence"?

[Lancey Howard]

Harman added that "while leaks are wrong, I think it is totally wrong for our president in secret to selectively declassify certain information and empower people in his White House to leak it to favored reporters so that they can discredit political enemies, " she said on Fox News Sunday.

Just when you think Harman is a straight shooter she turns out to be just another scumbag.

The White House merely did what it needed to do in order to GET THE TRUTH OUT in order to combat a rogue CIA disinformation campaign designed to undermine the President and his foreign policy initiatives. That hardly translates to an attempt to "discredit political enemies".

What a maroon.

[Mo1]

Kerry, on ABC's "This Week," said, "Classification in Washington is a tool that is used to hide the truth from the American people." He added, "I'm glad she told the truth," but if she did it will have to face the consequences of breaking the law.

Gee Johnny .. would that be like how you presented legislation to bury the Barret Report from ever seeing the light of day

WARNING TO DEM LURKERS ... YOU DON'T HAVE A LEG TO STAND ON!

[ncountylee]

Walter Pincus is the butt boy for more leftists than I can count.

[Candor7]

The Chief Executive Officer or any employee having the permission of the chief executive can release information by leaking.

The simple fact is that this officer, McCarthy, did not have such permission and was seeking to disagree with the policy of the President anonymously. This is in fact sedition. Not only should she be fired , she also should be tried and if found guilty, should serve a prison term. That message should be clear to all Cintonian "democrats" who think they can create foreign policy in lieu of the President of the USA. Such arrogance can come from only one source: The DNC, that thinks that President Bush stole the election of 2000 and 2004. They believe their own mythology, a dangerous thing for the republic.

In time of war such an act could result in a charge of treason and subsequent execution. Kudos to Goss for rolling up this fifth column of unpatriotic, ivy league, Clintonian syncophants.

I hope the Dim-o-craps continue to make a big time of Porter Goss's investigation and roll up. It will result in exposing them for the slimy, unpatriotic shuttlecocks they really are. They can trump up investigations for DeLay, and Libby, forcing the resignation of effective Republicans who are good men, but cannot take a smidgeon of their own medicine.

What a bunch of loser/whiners!

[stylin19a]

Whew ! Thank God John Kerry outted Fulton Armstrong.
Outting, you see, is not the same as leaking.

Rats out.
Repubs leak.

[VRWC For Truth]

Rat and double standard is an oxymoron.

[hermgem]

What is classified information that has been secretly declassified? Or is declassified really declassified.
The MSN has fits with no leaks regardless if the country gets hurt.
Do people live up to or not to a signed and explained contract when signing a confidentiality agreement prior to being hired. They have the choice of take it or leave it.
Or does such require a judgment by the US Supreme Court?

[libs_kma]

Democrats Suggest Double Standard on Leaks Should Never Again Be In Charge Of National Security

There. Fixed it.